Long-lived Tropical Storm Bertha headed off into the Atlantic on Wednesday after a brush with Bermuda that knocked out electricity to thousands but caused no reported injuries.
The storm was centered 380 miles (610 kilometers) northeast of Bermuda by Wednesday morning, with sustained winds near 70 mph (110 kph), according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center. It was projected to continue moving away from the U.S. mainland _ heading east, southeast or northeast _ in coming days.
Bertha swept just east of Bermuda on Monday, causing power outages and high seas, after whipping up weekend rip currents that officials said contributed to at least one drowning in New Jersey.
Bertha hit tropical storm force on July 3 and has become the longest-lived July tropical storm in history, according to the Hurricane Center. It briefly reached hurricane force.
The previous longest-lived storm, known as Storm No. 2, occurred in 1960 and lasted just over 12 days, according to forecaster Daniel Brown. Bertha is entering its 13th day.
